Mike Mayock has one of the coolest Philadelphia stories, so I can’t wait to share my conversation with him! He was born and raised in Philadelphia as the oldest of seven kids and today, he has two awesome children: Leigh and Michael. Mike went to the Haverford School followed by Boston College where he was the captain of the football and baseball team and was inducted into the BC Hall of Fame in 2001. After college, he had a short stint in NFL for two years playing for the Steelers and the Giants. Then from 1984 to 2003, he pursued a job in the commercial real estate industry in the greater Philadelphia area.

Although he was making a comfortable financial living in commercial real estate, Mike knew he had to find a way to pursue his true passion: football. So as a side hustle, he would announce high school games. He started at the very bottom and did any sort of game to get his foot in the door. As time went on, the industry started recognizing Mike and as a result, he started doing more football games at higher levels. Everyone thought it was cool he was doing these games, but no one really thought it would amount to anything significant. In fact, he stayed at his day job in commercial real estate for 18 years before he got his big break in the NFL Network in 2003.

The job offer from the NFL Network came with big risks, like having to take a pay cut while raising a family. Mike took the risk, accepted the job, and never looked back. He told me it was the best decision in his entire life. Today, he is one of the most highly-respected people at the NFL Network. And the next time you see him on national television, I hope he will be a reminder of someone that used grit, patience, and perseverance to turn their passion into a real-time job. I can’t wait to watch him continue to kill it!